Jeffery Sachs, a world-renowned leader in global economic development and health care delivery, inspired an audience of over 2200 at Yale University on April 17th during the annual Unite for Sight Global Health and Innovation Conference. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, presented the progress and the challenges the world faces in fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), created by the United Nations in 1995 to improve the living conditions in developing countries, by the year 2015.
The MDG dream aims to achieve the following eight ambitious goals:
Millennium Development Goals
1. Eliminate extreme hunger and poverty
2. Guarantee primary school completion
3. Banish discrimination of girls and women
4. Reduce child mortality rate by 2/3
5. Improve maternal health
6. Control pandemic diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Global partnership for development
Sachs believed that we made good progress on goals 1 through 7 but expressed concern for the final goal, as it serves as a formidable challenge. Nevertheless, he remained hopeful, exclaiming: “Let’s take this seriously! Let’s make this happen!”
Four major action steps must continue for these MDGs to succeed, especially because we are already in year ten of a fifteen-year timeframe for implementation, according to Sachs. Further, world leaders will meet for the last time this fall to discuss their action plans.
First, providing useful, modern technology to underprivileged societies is key. This applies to conveniences we sometimes take for granted-cell phones and wireless Internet, for example-because increased “connectivity” improves many parts of health care delivery, including the ability to call an ambulance during an emergency or obtaining necessary information from health care providers.
Second, primary health systems need to become very accessible and effective. Sachs described that there are systematic ways to unite health systems to provide care.
Third, many different existing organizations need to help contribute to the efforts. Sachs listed numerous organizations that have the potential to fight these setbacks, including the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Project Management Institute (PMI), and many others.
Lastly, we must address the financial issues of the countries receiving aid. The per capita spending on health care differs drastically between the United States and foreign nations. It costs over $7000 pc/py on average in the US, yet only about $50-60 pc/py, and even then, people cannot afford proper health care. Sachs felt we need to mobilize existing funds and find ways to create new ones.
Interestingly, Sachs criticized the Obama administration for capping the United States foreign aid to $1 billion in its fiscal 2011 budget, in the midst of a fifteen-year foreign aid program. President Obama is planning on attending the MDG seminar this fall, so future economic changes are certainly possible.
As an economist, it only made sense for Sachs to advocate for money efficiency; every dollar counts. Despite the financial challenges, Sachs remained positive as he believed that “we have the science, the technology, [and] the commitments” to achieve the MDGs.
For 14 years I washed dishes for PEACE (I hosted over 80 students from over 20 countries) Then despite over 295 lies (see Waxman’s Commission on prooven lies) before the US went into Iraq) I felt never discouraged, but very disheartened.
Snohomish County Peace Action (Washington State) will be devoting this year to learning about the Millennium Goals and efforts to achieve these goals. Local speakers needed!!!!! CHR
We need far more publicity on the Millennium Goals